It’s the single image that has made the world collectively pause to remember the ongoing horror in war-torn Syria that we all too often and too easily cast from our minds.
Yesterday, we shared this video of the little blood and debris-covered boy in Aleppo, Syria, sitting in a daze in an ambulance after being pulled from the rubble after his house was levelled by an airstrike.
He is Omran Daqneesh, who is 5-years-old child. In the video, we see him sitting shocked and confused. He lifts his hand to his head to discover he is covered in blood. Sitting quietly, the boy wipes his hand on the seat.
The haunting footage dominated the news and became one of the most viral images on social media.
https://twitter.com/louiseroug/status/766486432840093696
In the US, CNN news anchor Kate Bolduan struggled to maintain her composure as she reported about the air strike and brave little Omran.
Understandably growing visibly upset, Bolduan’s words and very human reaction reflect the overwhelming powerlessness many of us felt when we saw that video.
“What strikes me is that we shed tears, but there are no tears here,” she says.
“He doesn’t cry once. That little boy is in total shock, he’s stunned, inside his home one moment and in the next he’s lost in the flurry and fury of war and chaos.”
She concludes her emotional report by simply saying: “This is Omran. He’s alive. We wanted you to know.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r41foRA-QvE
Lots of people online said that Bolduan’s reaction summed up how everyone felt upon seeing the video, and praised her for showing humanity and compassion while reporting on a horrific situation.
Reporting this without crying is not a skill to be proud of. @katebolduan did it right. https://t.co/iDBPxAqevC via @mediaite
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) August 18, 2016
Thank you, @KateBolduan. The story of this image is best expressed thru emotion, not words. We can't ignore Syria. https://t.co/PurOr5wSUP
— Mariano Castillo (@marianowrites) August 18, 2016
.@KateBolduan thank you for your humanity. For caring. https://t.co/sNbbzU0I1x
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) August 18, 2016
The Irish Refugee Council has a detailed page on the ways that we can directly help.
